Tunnel liners

ABSTRACT

A tunnel liner is provided made up of a plurality of side-byside annuli, each formed from a plurality of precast arcuate trapezoidal segments of substantially equal size, shape and thickness with sealing means between each segment of each annulus whereby a finished sealed lining is provided in one step of lining installation.

United States Patent 1191 1111 3,818,710 Chlumecky June 25, 1974 [54] TUNNEL LINERS 2,160,342 5/1939 Ribb1e.., 61/45 R 2,197,374 4/1940 B 11 61 45 R X [75] Inventor: Nlclmlas Chlumecky, Youngstown 3,620,025 11/1971 Ta radash et a1. 61/45 R OhlO 3,695,044 10/1972 l-loshino et al 61/45 R Assignee: Commercial Shearing & Stamping FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Company Youngstown Ohm 1,019,624 11/1957 Germany 61/45 R [22] Filed; Dec, 3, 1971 12,483 5/1892 Great Britain 61/45 R 594,708 11/1947 Great Britain 61/45 R [21] App]. N0.: 204,438

Primary Examiner-Dennis L. Taylor [521 US. Cl. 61/45 R, 61/42 Attorney, Agent, or FirmBuelL Blenko and [51] Int. Cl. E21d 11/00, EOlg 5/04 Ziesenheim [58] Field of Search 61/45 R, 42, 43, 84, 85,

6 1/ 63 [57] ABSTRACT A tunnel liner is provided made up of a plurality of [56] References C'ted side-by-side annuli, each formed from a plurality of UNITED STATES PATENTS precast arcuate trapezoidal segments of substantially 852,916 5/1907 Vandevort 451/45 R equal size, shape and thickness with sealing means be- 935,376 9/1909 Lennon 61/45 R tween each segment of each annulus whereby a fin- .lohannesson .1 R ished ealed is provided in one step of in- 1,866,242 7/1932 Warner et al 61/45 R stanatiom 1,969,810 8/1934 McAlpine 61/45 R 1,982,307 I l/1934 Kahn 61/45 R 6 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJUNZSIHH SHEET 1 [IF 2 TUNNEL LINERS This invention relates to tunnel liners and particularly to a tunnel liner of preformed segments held together by temporary brackets or gravitational forces and grouting.

In the lining of underground tunnels or shafts such as subways, sewers, vehicular tunnels and the like it has been common practice to place a metal lining in the tunnel following the tunnelling or excavating shield, which lining is made up of a plurality of arcuate metal pans bolted together along dependent edge flanges and then to fill the area behind the lining with grout and to cover the interior with an inner concrete liner of masonry. Tunnel linings of this type are shown in US. Pats. No. 2,404,819 and No. 3,396,543.

Linings of this prior art type are very effective but they are expensive and time consuming to install.

The present invention provides a tunnel lining which is much less expensive and time consuming to install than the prior art metal linersand which when installed, may form the final inner surface without need to pour an inner concrete liner.

In a preferred embodiment of this invention there is provided a liner made up of successive side by side annuli each formed from a plurality of precast trapezoidal arcuate segments or plates of equal size and shape and of a desired thickness. The liner is preferably surrounded by grout, filling the area between the lining and a bore hole in the earth in which said liner is placed. Grouting holes are preferably provided through each of the liner plates through which grout may be pumped to fill the area behind the liner. The four edges of each trapezoidal segment are preferably coated with a self bonding and sealing elastomer which provides a first water seal around the segment joints. Preferably each segment is also provided with a recess along each inner edge which combines with a like recess of the next adjacent segment to form a caulking or sealing groove into which high pressure caulking or sealing materials may be placed. Coil anchors are preferably provided adjacent the edges receiving bolts to hold temporary brackets in place during liner installation and to carry a spreader or erector arm for installing the segments in place. The trapezoidal segments may be of reenforced concrete, reenforced resins (e.g., fiberglass reenforced polyester, etc.), or any other preformed material of sufficient size and strength.

In the foregoing general description of this invention, certain objects, purposes and advantages of the invention have been outlined. Other objects, purposes and advantages of this invention will be apparent from a consideration of the following description and the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an end elevational view of a tunnel liner annulus according to the invention in place in a tunnel bore hole;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the tunnel liner of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an end elevational view of one embodiment of tunnel liner using temporary guide brackets for placement;

FIG. 4 is a section on the line IV-IV of FIG. 2;

FIG, 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of a joint of the embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4;

FIG. 6 is an end elevational view of a second embodiment of tunnel liner using temporary guide plates for placement;

FIG. 7 is a section on the line VlI-VII of FIG. 6.

Referring to the drawings, I have illustrated a tunnel bore hole 10 formed by conventional tunnel boring techniques. A liner annulus 11 rests in the bore hole 10 and is surrounded by grout 12 filling the area between the annulus 11 and the inner walls of the tunnel bore hole 10. Each annulus 11 is made up of four segments 13 of equal trapezoidal shape. Each segment 13 has a coating of self sealing bearing elastomer 14 along each side edge 15 and end edge 16 so that adjacent edges are sealed together when in place. Each edge also preferably has a recess or groove 17 extending inwardly from the inner face 18 so as to form a sealant or caulking groove receiving a high pressure sealant 19 when the segments are in place. Each segment is also provided adjacent its end edges and side edges with coil anchors 20 embedded in the segment to receive bolts 21 for fastening temporary brackets 22 and 23 in place on the segment. The brackets 22 are pressed steel brackets of arcuate shape having a depending radial flange 24 through which bolts 25 may be inserted for aligning the segments and drawing-them together during installation. The bolts 25 and brackets 22 are removed from the final lining. Similarly brackets 23 are provided with a radial flange through which bolts 26 may be inserted for aligning and drawing adjacent segments of side by side annuli together. Again bolts 26 and brackets 23 are removed from the final lining. The sealant 19 is the same elastomeric substance 14 with which edges 15 and 16 are coated. Grout is inserted through openings in each segment into the area between the liner and bore hole.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, the annuli and liner segments are identical with those of FIGS. 1-4 except for the temporary brackets. Accordingly, those elements which are identical bear like identifying numerals with the prime suffix. In this embodiment round guide plates 40 are held in place at the edges of each alternate segment of each annulus by bolts 41 entering coil anchors 20. On the same seg ment rectangular guide plates 42 are provided intermediate the side edges and held in place by bolts 43. The plates 42 may be provided with clevis arms 44 to receive the ends of a spreader 45 on pins 46. Again plates 40 and 42 and their corresponding bolts 41 and 43 are removed from the final lining along with spreader 45 after placing grouting 12.

It will be evident from the foregoing description that the liner of this invention is easily and simply installed and that when installed it provides a finished lining which is sealed against penetration of moisture which was proven by tests, thus solving most of the very serious problems of the tunnel lining art when first installing a primary lining to be followed by a second finishing lining.

While certain preferred embodiments and practices of this invention have been described in the foregoing specification, it will be understood that this invention may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

l. A tunnel liner comprising a plurality of successive side by side non-metallic annuli, said annuli formed from a plurality of pairs of precast arcuate isosceles trapezoidal segments of substantially equal size and shape and thickness and with all side edges of like generally flat configuration, the pairs of trapezoidal segments arranged in each annulus to form a parallelogram, recessed anchor means embedded in each segment adjacent each edge removably receiving brackets for drawing said segments together and sealing means between each segment of each annulus whereby a finished sealed lining is provided in one step of lining installation.

2. A tunnel liner as claimed in claim 1 wherein the liner is surrounded by grout filling all voids between said liner and a tunnel bore hole in which the liner is placed.

3. A tunnel liner as claimed in claim 1 wherein the sealing means is a layer of self bonding and sealing elastomer on each side and end edge of each trapezoidal segment.

4. A tunnel liner as claimed in claim 1 wherein each segment is provided with a peripheral recess formed along each inner edge and cooperating with like recesses of adjacent segments to form a groove, and a high pressure sealant filling said groove.

5. A tunnel liner as claimed in claim 3 wherein each segment is provided with a peripheral recess formed along each inner edge and cooperating with like recesses of adjacent segments to form a groove, and a high pressure sealant filling said groove.

6. A tunnel liner as claimed in claim 1 wherein each segment is provided with anchor means adjacent each edge, said anchor means removably carrying segment guide plates for guiding segments into position during installation. 

1. A tunnel liner comprising a plurality of successive side by side non-metallic annuli, said annuli formed from a plurality of pairs of precast arcuate isosceles trapezoidal segments of substantially equal size and shape and thickness and with all side edges of like generally flat configuration, the pairs of trapezoidal segments arranged in each annulus to form a paralleLogram, recessed anchor means embedded in each segment adjacent each edge removably receiving brackets for drawing said segments together and sealing means between each segment of each annulus whereby a finished sealed lining is provided in one step of lining installation.
 2. A tunnel liner as claimed in claim 1 wherein the liner is surrounded by grout filling all voids between said liner and a tunnel bore hole in which the liner is placed.
 3. A tunnel liner as claimed in claim 1 wherein the sealing means is a layer of self bonding and sealing elastomer on each side and end edge of each trapezoidal segment.
 4. A tunnel liner as claimed in claim 1 wherein each segment is provided with a peripheral recess formed along each inner edge and cooperating with like recesses of adjacent segments to form a groove, and a high pressure sealant filling said groove.
 5. A tunnel liner as claimed in claim 3 wherein each segment is provided with a peripheral recess formed along each inner edge and cooperating with like recesses of adjacent segments to form a groove, and a high pressure sealant filling said groove.
 6. A tunnel liner as claimed in claim 1 wherein each segment is provided with anchor means adjacent each edge, said anchor means removably carrying segment guide plates for guiding segments into position during installation. 